Extension car-step.



J. R. BARBER.

EXTENSION OAR STEP.

APPLICATION $11.21) NOE'.15,1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

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3 mum 1101 /iificprer THE NORRIS PETERS CD.. PHDTD-LITHQ. WASHINGTDN. D, C.

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JAMES R. BARBER, OF CEDAETOWN, GEORGIA.

EXTENSION canss'rnr.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 191 1.

Application filed November 15, 1913 serial No. 801,220.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns It. BARBER, citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Cedartown, in the county of Polk and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification.

The subject-matter of the present inven-.

tion is directed to new and useful improve ments in extension car steps, and .has particular reference to that type of such devices as are employed in connection with the steps of Pullman cars and the like.

As its principal object, the present invention aims to provide an extension car step which may be manually operated from the platform of the car and may be swung outwarc ly and downwardly to afford passengers an easy entrance and exit from the cars without necessitating the-employment of a porters stool such as is customarily used.

A further object is to equip the step with a retractive spring so arranged that it will normally hold the step in folded position, and to interpose the spring in the operating mechanism so that as soon as the conductor or porter releases the operating mechanism, the spring will draw the step up into folded position.

The above and additional objects are ac" complished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

1 With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts,Figure1 is a perspective view of the rear end of a Pullman car, illustrating the extension step of this invention as it is applied to the steps proper of the car platform. Fig. 2 is a detail View in side elevation of the steps properand the extension step, portions of the rearfplatform being broken away to more clearly illustrate the operating means by which the extension step is folded and unfolded; Fig. 8 is a detail view in section showing the extension step in folded position against the steps proper; and Fig. 4 is a detail view in top plan of the clutch plate employed in holding 17of the the step tion.

Taking up in detail the description of the drawings, 1t will be noted upon reference to Fig. 1, in which the invention is best illustrated as an entirety, that the extension step consists in a pair of hanger bars 10 and 11 which carry a step tread and riser, and are plvotally mounted at their upper terminals to the lower tread of the car steps, so that the extension step proper may be swung upwardly in such manner that its tread 12 and riser 13 will respectively engage against the tread 14c and riser 15 of the car steps proper. i

The hanger rods 10 and 11 are practically identical in construction, except that their pivoted terminals are oppositely disposed on the lowermost tread-board 16 of the car steps. It is deemed necessary, therefore, to describe only one of the hanger rods in detail. Each hanger rod is formed from a single length of steel tubing, although if so desired a solid metallic rod of any material may be employed. In forming the hanger rod, the tube is first bent to produce an L-shaped portion, oneleg of which is indicated at 17 in Fig. 3, and the shorter leg of which is indicated at 18 in the same figure. Extending from the opposite terminal of the member 17 from the short leg 18 of the l. portion, and at right angles to the member 17, is a straight arm 19 the exoperating lever in adjusted positreme terminal of which is again bent at right angles, as at 20.

The tread 12 and the riser 13 of the extension step are arranged, of course, at right angles to each other, and are preferably held in the desired assembled relation by means of a substantially rectangular metallic frame 21 which is bent at the middle point and its opposite ends to conform to the edges of the members 12 and 13. The members 12 and 13 are respectively disposed against the portions 17 and 18 of the hanger rods and are supported thereby, as will be readily observed upon reference to Fig. 2. It will also be noted upon reference to this figure that the member 18 is flattened and is apertured to receive bolts 22, whereby the member 12 will be firmly held in fixed position. It will be further observed that U-bolts 23 are employed in holding the member 13 in proper position against the portion hanger rods.

The arms 20 of the hanger rods are pivotallymounted within bearings 24 which arearranged on the lower tread 16 of the steps and at opposite ends thereof. The arm 20 of the hanger rod 10 is of suflicient length to project through the side-board 25 of the car i steps so that it may receive a crank link '26.

.This crank link 26 is keyed onto the member 20 in any desired manner, and is apertured at its free end to receive a pivot pin27 whereby itmay be operatively connected to an operating link 28.

in Fig. 2 to a point intermediate the length of the platform at the rear edge thereof.

7 From the foregoing description, itwill be 1 at once apparent that by manipulating the lever 30, the extension step which consists of the membersflQ and 13 may be readily drawn i up to dispose themember 12 on the tread 14,

and the riser 13 against the riser 15, so that the car steps may be employed in the usual l manner.

Inasmuch as the extension steps are dea signed for utilization only when the pullman is loading or unloading passengers at a station, it is, of course, desirable to have the extension step normally folded against:

the tread i l and riser 15, as above set forth. There'has, therefore, been provided a helical spring 33 which is of theretractive type. One terminal of this spring is fixed on a stud or plate 34L-, while the other terminal of the spring is equipped with a hook 35 which 1 isadapted to be detachably secured to the lever 30 at an intermediate point between, the members 29 and 31. The spring 33 is,.& as previously stated, of the retractive type, and obviously by exerting a pull on the lever 30 acts to normally hold the extension step in" folded position on the Icar steps.

However, in order to permit the conductor or porter of the pullinan to swing the eX- 3 tension step down to unfolded position, asg indicated in Fig. 1, and to fix the extension step in unfolded position against the tension of the spring 33 until'it is again desired to fold the step, there has been provided aclutch plate which is designated as an entirety by the numeral 36. Reference will now be in an elongated metallic plate which is bolted'or otherwise secured as at 37 to the rear edge of the car platform. The rear, i edge of the plate 36 is formed with a pair of j= longitudinally spaced notchesindicated at 38 i and 39. These notches 38 and 39 are de The upper terminalj of this operating link 28 is pivoted as at 29 had particularly to Fig. 4 in which the clutch plate'isbest illusf trated. This member 36 consists preferably signed to j receive the lever 30 to hold it against movement. In this'connection, it will, of-course, be apparent that the pivoted terminal of the lever is loosely mounted on the pivoted shaft or pins 31, so that it maybe swung into and out of the notches 38 'and'39.

toward the side of the ear, and is then swung to engage in the 'notch,88. The step will thus be held against return movement; to

the spring 33Twi1l, through the medium of the connecting'link 28, crank link 27 and intofdldechposition.' The lever 30 is then again manipulated to dispose'itwithin the notchQS S, so that the spring 33 will be rethus prolonging the life" of the spring.

Referring now to for'the steps at each side of the platform.

the lower tread 16 of the ,car step, such as would occur were the hanger rods 10 and 11 when the step is inextended position, there has been provided a pair ofwear plates 40 screwed, riveted or otherwiseisecured to the upper face of the member 16 in the manner shown 'inFig. 1.

Before concluding the description of this invention, it is desirable to mention the-fact that while in the preferred embodiment of this invention the members l2 and :13 are constructed ofwoocl, and are heldin' assembled-relation by meansof the metallic frame 21, they may, of course, be constructed of sheet metal without-departing in any way from thespirit of this invention; i e V In reduction to practice, it has 10 en found description asthe preferred embodiment, is

ing that the conditionsconcurrentwith the vary,it isdesired to emphasize the fact that varlous minor changes in' details ofcon- 1' struction, proportion and arrangement ,of

this invention, fclaims.

In conclusion, it may be well-Ito state that as defined in the appended associated mechanism may be dispensed with, and a draw cable employed in moving the step into folded or extended position if When it is desired to hold the extension: step in unfolded position, the lever isthrown permitted'to bite into the edge of the tread if so desired the operating ,lever; 30 "and its folded position. When the operator desires to again fold the step up, it is only necessary to rel'ease the lever 30 from the notch :38 and arm'20, swing the extensionistep upwardly V lieved. of all strain ofh'oldingthe step up','f 4

N Fig. 1, it will be noted 7 that an extension step is, ofcourse, provided As a means for preventing thewearing of and 41. These plates may be of any 'conventlonal design and material and are, of course,

the most e-flicient andpractical; yet realize adoption of this device; ,willYnecessarily partsmay be resorted to, whenflre'quired, without sacr ficing any of the advantages of it is found that the particular type of car to which the step is applied is so constructed that it will be a costly operation to attach the operating mechanism.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with main steps, of an auxiliary extensible step including a pair of hanger rods pivotally secured to the main steps, a tread, and a riser carried by the hanger rods and fixed with respect to each other, yieldable means for normally holding the auxiliary step in folded position against the main steps, and manually operable means for moving the auxiliary step from folded to unfolded position.

2. The combination with main steps, of an auxiliary extensible step including a pair of pivoted hanger rods, a riser and a tread carried by the hanger rods and mounted in fixed relation to each other, a spring pulled lever operatively connected to the auxiliary step and acting to normally hold the step in folded position against the main steps.

3. The combination with main steps, of an auxiliary extensible step including a pair of pivotally mounted hanger rods, a riser and a tread carried by the hanger rods, an arm formed on one of the hanger rods, a crank link keyed on the operable lever, link and lever, said lever being operable for moving the step from folded to unfolded position, or from unfolded to folded position, and a spring secured to the lever and acting to normally hold the auxiliary step in folded position.

Copies hanger rods, a manuallya link connectlng the crank 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G."

4:- The combination with main steps, of an auxiliary extensible step pivotally attached to the main steps, manually operable means for folding and unfolding the auxiliary step, yieldable means acting to normally hold the auxiliary step in folded position, and a clutch plate, whereby the step operating means may be held against movement when the step is in either folded or unfolded position.

5. The combination with main steps, of an auxiliary extensible step, including a tread and a riser mounted rigidly with respect to each other but adapted for swinging move ment as an entirety, and yieldable means normally holding the tread and riser in folded position against the tread and riser of the adjacent step of the main steps.

6. The combination with main steps, of an auxiliary extensible step, including a pair of L-shaped hanger rods having their upper terminals bent at right angles and journaled 011 the lowermost tread member of the main steps, a riser and a tread rigidly mounted with respect to each other in the hanger rods, and yieldable means normally holding the auxiliary step in folded position, said step when in folded position having its riser and tread respectively bearing against a riser and tread of the main steps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. BARBER. [L.s.]

Witnesses:

J. J. CALHOUN, H. N. VAN DEVANDER.

Commissioner of Patents, 

